It’s a guest’s worst nightmare- what if your Airbnb host cancels and you have no place to stay and no other options in a strange city?

If this ever happens to you, there are two options: transfer your payment for the canceled reservation to a new Airbnb reservation or get a refund. If you choose to transfer the payment, your money will be immediately available for this transfer. After you choose a new place, Airbnb will automatically transfer the funds to the new reservation, as well as any eligible Airbnb credit.

If you choose to get a refund, you can do so online anytime. Go to Your Trips when you are logged into Airbnb.com, find your canceled reservation, and click on Request a Refund. Currently, this option is not available from the Airbnb app or mobile website, but is available through Arirbnb.com when accessed on a computer.

You might be wondering what happens on the other side of the equation, for a host that cancels! Since cancellations are very inconvenient for guests, and make Airbnb a less reliable service, Airbnb enforces the following penalties for host cancellations, per their website:

More than 7 days before check-in: The cancellation fee will be waived for your first cancellation within a 6-month period. Then, for every additional cancellation within that 6-month period, you’ll be charged $50 per cancellation.

Within 7 days of check-in: Airbnb charges a $100 fee for any reservation canceled within 7 days of check-in.

Airbnb says that any applicable cancellation fees will be deducted from your next payout. In addition, an automated review will be posted on your listing indicating that you cancelled a reservation. These cannot be removed, but a host does have the option to write a public response to clarify the reasons for cancellation. Also, your calendar will stay blocked and you will not be able to accept another reservation on the dates of the original cancelled reservation. Additionally, you will not be able to earn Superhost status for one year after your most recent cancellation.

Instant Book hosts may be able to cancel without a penalty if they have concerns about the reservation or a guest’s behavior. Things that are not covered by this policy are confusion about pricing, calendar inaccuracy, or extenuating circumstances.

Hosts who use Instant Book may be able to cancel penalty-free if they have concerns about the reservation or a guest’s behavior. Calendar inaccuracy, confusion about pricing or availability, and extenuating circumstances are not covered by this policy. If you are an Instant Book host and have concerns about a guest’s behavior, log into your Airbnb account, click on Your Reservations, Click Change or Cancel and choose “I’m uncomfortable with the guest’s behavior.” Then provide a reason for the cancellation. After completing these steps, the host cancellation penalties will be waived and Airbnb will assist your guest in finding another place to stay. If it is less than 24 hours prior to check in, contact Airbnb instead.